Thursday, October 9th, 2025
Local man runs from court after sentencing
By Abigail Miller
CELINA - After being remanded into police custody on Wednesday following his sentencing, a 33-year-old Celina man reportedly fled the Mercer County Courthouse and was tased twice before being arrested nearby in downtown Celina.
Kyle R. Poplaski was initially sentenced to five years of community control sanctions and ordered to undergo treatment at The WORTH Center in Lima on one count of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a fourth-degree felony.
However, after Mercer County Common Pleas Judge Matthew K. Fox remanded him into the custody of the sheriff's office, he reportedly pushed off a deputy attempting to handcuff him and ran out of the courtroom, Sheriff Doug Timmerman said.
The WORTH Center is a community-based correctional facility that is used as an alternative to the penal system. All defendants ordered to undergo treatment at the facility spend a brief amount of time at the county jail before being admitted.
Once outside of the courtroom, Poplaski allegedly pushed down a woman in the courthouse rotunda on his way out, Timmerman said. He then ran down six flights of stairs where he was met at the bottom by another sheriff's deputy. The deputy deployed his taser but was not successful in subduing Poplaski.
Poplaski continued out the south exit of the courthouse, where he was tased a second time and finally arrested across the street near The Fountain Restaurant in Celina, Timmerman said.
After being placed in a deputy's cruiser, he complained of chest pains and exhibited "seizure-like activity" on the way to the county jail, Timmerman added. He was transported to the Mercer County Community Hospital, discharged before 8 p.m. Wednesday, then taken to the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond.
When asked if Poplaski was now facing additional charges, Timmerman said "he better be," and listed escape and assault as potential charges.
"We've spoken with the prosecutor's office and they seem to be on board with additional charges," he said. "This is the kind of stuff that, if people aren't held accountable, this type of activity will never cease. … I am quite sick of it to be honest."
Poplaski was indicted in July on one count of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a fourth-degree felony.
He pleaded guilty to the sole charge in September.
Prior to Wednesday's hearing, his attorney Thomas Lucente Jr. asked the court in a memorandum to consider sentencing his client to community control sanctions and residential treatment in lieu of incarceration.
His next court date is unknown.
